Becoming A Resident In Thailand

[kunash]

hi, i am womdering what is the criteria for becoming a resident in thailand? i will have a permanent residential address, with my name on the agreement. i will be able to show i have money in the bank ( not sure if this is a requirement ). how many days of the year do i have to be thailand? this is so i can legally buy a motor vehicle and obtain a thai driving license. also where do i apply for residency.

thanks

[7by7]

Moved to Thai visas, residency and work permits.

[Crossy]

Becoming resident is a long and complex process (see the pinned thread at the top of the forum).

However it's not needed to buy a car or obtain a driving licence, all you need is a non-immigrant visa of any class (plus assorted other bits of paper) look in the motoring forum for more details.

[frankganderson]

If you are in Thailand the best people to ask is Immigration. Others will charge you for what you can get free.

[stgrhe]

You have to be able to show tax slips for a minimum period of three consecutive years before your application will be accepted. There are a number of other hurdles but unless you have worked here and paid tax you have no chance of getting a PR status.

[Mario2008]

If you are in Thailand on a non-immigrant visa, you can buy a car or motercycle. You will need a letter of residency (or work permit), which is something different than having permanent residency.

You can get a letter of residency from immirgaiton, but in all likelyhood must be on an extension of stay to get one. Alternatively you can contact your embassy for a letter of residency.

As Crossy said, you will find more details about buying in the motering forum.